Kostadin Valchev from WWF to FACTS: The full restoration of a forest severely damaged by fire takes at least a century

What happens to the forest after it has been burned… Kostadin Valchev, Senior Expert “Forests” at WWF, speaks to FACTS.

- Mr. Valchev, for another year, many forests in Bulgaria suffered from fires. For another year, we found that we do not have the equipment to extinguish fires high in the mountains. Why is that?
- There are several reasons. First of all - climate change. We are increasingly experiencing long periods of drought and higher temperatures, which makes the fire danger significantly higher than before. Fires occur more easily, spread quickly and become very difficult to contain and extinguish. We see the same picture in Southern Europe – in Cyprus, Spain, Romania, etc., where the European Forest Fire Monitoring System registers a significant increase in fires in 2025.

Secondly, in Bulgaria, the problem is the lack of sustainability in policies. In the midst of fires, society and institutions talk about prevention and technology, but once the crisis passes, the topic is quickly forgotten.

And so every year we find ourselves surprised by the scale of disasters and the lack of necessary technology, especially for high-mountainous regions. If we want to break this vicious cycle, we must work consistently throughout the year. This means prevention such as: better mapping of risk areas, determining the various causes of fires in them, including stubble burning, ignition from power lines, along roads and tourist centers, etc. Specific prevention measures are also needed for each of these cases. We need to invest in purchasing our own aircraft, and not rely on other countries. Aviation is most effective in the first hours after a forest fire starts. It is crucial to have trained and well-equipped volunteers on site who can quickly and effectively intervene and stop the fire.
We can also work to improve the coordination between institutions and the effectiveness of the firefighting itself, including by implementing modern technologies for monitoring and early detection of fires.

- We only identify burned areas, but what happens to the forest where everything is black. What happens to the trees that have been damaged?
- After some fires with low-level burning in forests with a height of over 10-15 m. with fire-resistant species such as some oaks, the trees are only partially damaged and after a few years they recover. In other species (such as beech) and in peak burning, such as in Pirin, most trees die. In these cases, in commercial forests, the practice is to remove the dead trees, which is legally regulated. The legislator's logic is, on the one hand, not to waste wood as a resource, and on the other - it is believed that it may be a source of infections, although a number of studies refute this. In forests falling within protected areas, Natura 2000 areas and FSC-certified forests, there are legal requirements to leave a minimum amount of biotope trees and dead wood. Dead wood has an important role - it creates an environment for many species and is part of the natural cycle and balance of the forest.

- How to cut down in a burned area. What regulations are followed?
- After a fire, an assessment is made and usually a prescription is issued by the regional forestry directorate or forest protection station to conduct sanitary or forced felling. The owner of the forest is then obliged to organize the felling according to legal requirements. We have no data on serious violations in this activity.

- How many of them are cut down under the convenient pretext that they were damaged by the fire?
- Such abuses probably occur. WWF has a platform for signals and an application called “Save the Forest“, which receives signals about violations in the forests. At this stage, we have no information about such types of violations. I don't think they are a common practice.

- Fire – logging. Is there a direct connection?
- You mean intentional fires for the purpose of logging, right? It is not impossible, but it is unlikely, especially at the moment, because:
1) statistics show that at least 8 out of 10 fires occur outside forests. Is it possible for someone to set fire to a wheat field in the hope of burning down the forest nearby? I don't believe it.
2) as I mentioned above, after a fire, an assessment is made and a prescription is issued by the regional forest directorate and forest protection station to conduct sanitary felling or forced felling. Involving experts from various institutions reduces the risk of corrupt practices.
3) the demand for wood in Europe and in our country has been decreasing in recent years, and with it its price. A large consumer of wood has left the country, which creates a completely different problem for logging companies - lack of a market. State-owned enterprises have a problem with the sale of wood.
Under these conditions, the deliberate setting of a fire, which can lead to major damage and casualties outside the forests and with the risk of punishment of up to 15 years in prison, is very unlikely, especially with a low price of wood and a large supply, as is the case at the moment.

- What happens to the burned terrain afterwards. Is it reforested, does it self-afforest, how do you act?
- A basic principle in forest management in Bulgaria is to follow the natural processes in nature and to stimulate/support natural regeneration when reforesting. Forests of natural origin are not always the most valuable economically, but they are much more resistant to adverse impacts, including climate change. Natural forests also perform their ecosystem functions better and are therefore more desirable. If there is no good natural regeneration in the first 3 years after the fire, the owner of the forest is obliged to afforest it within two years after the three-year period. Practice shows that in most cases, in the event of unsuccessful regeneration in state forests, afforestation is carried out.

- How do animals view the burned terrain? How long does it take them to re-enter it…
- Different animals react differently. Some - especially birds and more mobile mammals - can feed or rest temporarily in the first years after the fire. Other species return only when the forest begins to recover. But the full recovery of a forest ecosystem severely damaged by fire usually takes at least a century.